The dream of bringing professional soccer to Mississippi has recently hit a major setback. On October 30, 2024, the KSG Hank Aaron Sports Academy announced their decision to pause their efforts in establishing a professional soccer team in Jackson, Mississippi for the 2025 season. This unexpected development has left soccer fans across the state wondering about the future of professional soccer in the state and what this setback means for the growth of the sport.
The push to bring professional soccer to Mississippi was led by the Hank Aaron Sports Academy, an organization with strong ties to the state’s sporting history. The academy operates out of Jackson’s Smith Will’s Stadium, known for hosting major sporting events such as professional baseball and MHSAA football events. While the popularity of sports like soccer has increased in recent years, ReadWrite’s Djordje Bogdanovic says that betting on soccer games is not as prevalent as football and baseball.
However, he adds that several Mississippi sports betting sites do offer a wide range of sports betting options for soccer, including parlays, totals, point spreads, and money line bets. Bogdanovic mentions that although residents can bet on domestic soccer leagues, major professional leagues like the English Premier League, as well as American Football, basketball, and baseball leagues, can be bet on. Since soccer is gaining traction in the country, the academy’s proposal to introduce professional soccer to Jackson is an ambitious step forward, one that aims to elevate Mississippi’s soccer profile and expand sports entertainment options for residents.
Mississippi’s involvement in soccer mainly revolves around youth and amateur leagues and is significantly influenced by organizations such as the Jackson Futbol Club (JFC). The JFC plays a crucial role in the state’s soccer sporting events by providing programs for kids aged four to 19 in recreational and competitive divisions. This long-standing commitment to youth soccer has helped develop a growing interest in the sport. The introduction of a professional team could have provided a new way for aspiring players and contributed to soccer’s status as a competitive sport in the state.
However, the announcement of the suspension has left many questions about the challenges the academy faced and what might have led to this decision. While specifics were not released, establishing a professional sports team in a new market often comes with complex logistical, regulatory, and financial hurdles. Funding is one of the biggest challenges since securing an investment to cover player contracts, facilities, and marketing can be much more difficult for smaller markets.
Additionally, local regulations, ensuring the necessary infrastructure is in place, and building a sustainable fan base are all vitally important considerations for any professional sporting market. For an organization like Hank Aaron Sports Academy, bringing a professional soccer league or team to Jackson would involve considerable effort in each of these areas, and major challenges could potentially prove too significant to overcome at this time.
The timing of the announcement, just months before the intended start of the 2025 season, suggests that these challenges were serious enough to warrant a full reassessment. Tim Bennet from KSA Hank Aaron Academy expressed his disappointment about the suspension and mentioned his previous collaborations with former Governors Haley Barbour and Phil Bryant in bringing Minor League Baseball (MiLB) teams to the state. He also says he is working with current Governor Tate Reeves to bring the MLB’s Legacy Hank Aaron project to Mississippi.
Moving forward, Bennett says that he will adhere to the terms of a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and work with NISA (likely referring to the National Independent Soccer Association) to determine their next steps. These steps will be influenced by ongoing legal issues related to the state of Mississippi’s request for Jackson to give up ownership of a 50-year-old former MiLB facility.
Despite the current setback, Bennett remains optimistic about the possibility of bringing professional soccer to Jackson by 2026. This suggests that while the immediate plans have been suspended, efforts to establish a professional soccer team in the area may continue in the future.
The timing of this announcement coincides with the increasing popularity of soccer in the United States recently as Major League Soccer (MLS) has seen growth with new teams being added to the league times. From MLS expansion efforts other lower-tier professional leagues like USL Championship and USL League One have also been setting up teams in smaller markets that traditionally lacked professional sports presence.
The impact of this suspension extends goes way beyond just the loss of a potential professional team. Professional sports franchises often serve as economic drivers for their communities, generating jobs, attracting tourism, and boosting local businesses. They also inspire young athletes and can elevate the profile of a city or state on the national stage. For Jackson and Mississippi as a whole, the stalling of these plans is a missed opportunity for such benefits, at least in the short term.
However, the suspension of the professional soccer plans does not necessarily spell the end of high-level soccer aspirations in Mississippi. The state continues to develop youth soccer, with organizations like the Jackson Futbol Club playing a crucial role in developing talent and fostering a love for the sport. These grassroots efforts are necessary for building a strong foundation for soccer’s future in the state.
